We did get to Paris yesterday. The airplane showed up at the departure gate about 30 minutes after we did. Flew to Paris, got a taxi (we long ago gave up on the "take the train, it's so easy" alternative after some really not-fun experiences), spent an hour in traffic (going into Paris late afternoon; go figure), got to the hotel, didn't get the room we requested 9 months ago, did get a room in a large closet (we'll get moved to the good room tomorrow), checked the weather forecast (big mistake-rain all week) and then went to our favorite tavern, Henri IV, where we had a fine bottle of wine and some excellent food. Now, that is what Paris is all about.
Rue de Rosiers
What a life...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Transit days
Things are never as easy as you'd think they'd be on transit days - days we're going from one place to another, and when the transit involves a flight, stand by for stress. Today we left España and flew to le belle Francais. Easy, right? Check-out, drive an hour to the Madrid airport, get on the plane and go, right? Right.
We did all the calculations and figured we needed to leave our hotel in Segovia about 9 this morning to get to Barajas (Madrid's airport) for our 12:40 flight. Then we got a notice from Expedia, through whom we'd made these flight reservations, that the flight had been re-scheduled for half an hour later. Great - we'll have more cushion at the airport. So, at 9 exactly, we're on the road to Barajas, the Madrid airport.
Whoops, a traffic jam; stop (mostly) and go (occasionally) for quite a while. But, though we've used up some of our cushion, we get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Then, the fun begins...
We drive to Terminal 2 for our flight, then realize that rental car return is at Terminal 1. We backtrack, and see a sign that says, "Rental car return" with an arrow. How easy is this? But why do I have to take a ticket from the machine? And why am I now in the public parking garage, separated from all the rental car agencies by a big fence? After driving around the parking lot, I realize we are hosed.
I try to leave the public parking, but the machine says that I have to pay before I can leave and, of course, the paying place is a long way from the exiting place and I still have not the slightest idea how, once I get out of the stupid parking lot, I can get into the rental car return.
I give up. I park the car, walk to the car rental office and, before I can even ask, the employee there says, "Public parking?" I'm obviously not the first bozo to do this. He gives me a printed map showing where to pay for my parking, how to exit the public parking, and how to get into the rental car return. Yes, they have a printed map because so many people end up in the wrong place. Turns out you follow the signs to rental car return and then, just before you get into public parking, you make a turn that is completely unmarked and has a gate across it for good measure, to get into the car rental area.
We do all that and get the car returned. We then walk 17 miles through the terminal to the Air France counter, where there is one - count 'em - one employee doing check-in. And remember, yesterday many flights were canceled because airlines were worried about the general strike in Spain, so people are trying to re-book and make new connections and all that. Maybe all the Air France employees thought today was the general strike and stayed home.
Finally, we get checked in, speed-walk another 17 miles to security, where we are held up because a guy in front of us has his wallet attached to his pants by a chain and insists that he can't unattach it and starts to take his pants off (really) so he can go through the metal detector without setting it off. He also has a dog and wants to take it through, leash and all.
We practically run the 17 miles to our gate because we have used up every minute of our cushion and it's getting close to departure time. Sweating, panting and gasping, we get to our gate with 10 minutes to spare.
There's no plane there.
We did all the calculations and figured we needed to leave our hotel in Segovia about 9 this morning to get to Barajas (Madrid's airport) for our 12:40 flight. Then we got a notice from Expedia, through whom we'd made these flight reservations, that the flight had been re-scheduled for half an hour later. Great - we'll have more cushion at the airport. So, at 9 exactly, we're on the road to Barajas, the Madrid airport.
Whoops, a traffic jam; stop (mostly) and go (occasionally) for quite a while. But, though we've used up some of our cushion, we get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Then, the fun begins...
We drive to Terminal 2 for our flight, then realize that rental car return is at Terminal 1. We backtrack, and see a sign that says, "Rental car return" with an arrow. How easy is this? But why do I have to take a ticket from the machine? And why am I now in the public parking garage, separated from all the rental car agencies by a big fence? After driving around the parking lot, I realize we are hosed.
I try to leave the public parking, but the machine says that I have to pay before I can leave and, of course, the paying place is a long way from the exiting place and I still have not the slightest idea how, once I get out of the stupid parking lot, I can get into the rental car return.
I give up. I park the car, walk to the car rental office and, before I can even ask, the employee there says, "Public parking?" I'm obviously not the first bozo to do this. He gives me a printed map showing where to pay for my parking, how to exit the public parking, and how to get into the rental car return. Yes, they have a printed map because so many people end up in the wrong place. Turns out you follow the signs to rental car return and then, just before you get into public parking, you make a turn that is completely unmarked and has a gate across it for good measure, to get into the car rental area.
We do all that and get the car returned. We then walk 17 miles through the terminal to the Air France counter, where there is one - count 'em - one employee doing check-in. And remember, yesterday many flights were canceled because airlines were worried about the general strike in Spain, so people are trying to re-book and make new connections and all that. Maybe all the Air France employees thought today was the general strike and stayed home.
Finally, we get checked in, speed-walk another 17 miles to security, where we are held up because a guy in front of us has his wallet attached to his pants by a chain and insists that he can't unattach it and starts to take his pants off (really) so he can go through the metal detector without setting it off. He also has a dog and wants to take it through, leash and all.
We practically run the 17 miles to our gate because we have used up every minute of our cushion and it's getting close to departure time. Sweating, panting and gasping, we get to our gate with 10 minutes to spare.
There's no plane there.
Location:Rue Le Regrattier,Paris,France
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Huelga General
Spanish unions today held a general strike, "huelga general," calling for all workers to not work today to force the government to withdraw efforts to deal with the huge economic problems facing Spain. (Without going into detail, suffice it to say that Spain's problems make those of the U.S. look puny.) The news media are now reporting the results of the Huelga General. The unions have announced that 70% of Spanish workers observed the strike, while the government reports that 7% of government workers failed to show up for work.
Our response here in Segovia: it was neither 70% nor 7%. Maybe 0.07%. There were about 50 strikers in the Plaza Mayor this morning and after milling around smartly for half an hour, they marched down the main commercial street, going into stores urging employees to join them, with a notable lack of success. An hour later, the only evidence of the General Strike here was the litter from all the leaflets the strikers threw as they walked.
By the way, some of the measures the strikers are protesting are government efforts to make it easy for Spanish companies to hire workers (and fire them - companies don't hire as much if they can't fire or layoff a worker). The government wants to reduce the amount of severance pay a laid-off or fired employee gets; as of now, it's 45 days(!) pay for every year worked. That's right; if you work for a year and get laid off, you get 9 weeks of severance pay. The government also wants to make it easier for employers to fire a worker for not showing up at his/her job; now, only if a worker misses 20% of the workdays over 2 months - not counting sick leave or vacation days - can the employer start the firing process.
Now, this may not be as bad as France, where the unemployed once went on strike (try to figure that out), but it seems crazy that in a country with 20%+ unemployment, anyone would think it was a good idea to go on strike. Especially over those oppressive conditions. And it seems that the huge majority of Spanish workers agreed.
P.S. There was another rally here in Segovia in support of the General Strike. About 100 people showed up. The funny part is that it was held after the workday so people could support the general strike without, you know, actually going on strike themselves.
Our response here in Segovia: it was neither 70% nor 7%. Maybe 0.07%. There were about 50 strikers in the Plaza Mayor this morning and after milling around smartly for half an hour, they marched down the main commercial street, going into stores urging employees to join them, with a notable lack of success. An hour later, the only evidence of the General Strike here was the litter from all the leaflets the strikers threw as they walked.
By the way, some of the measures the strikers are protesting are government efforts to make it easy for Spanish companies to hire workers (and fire them - companies don't hire as much if they can't fire or layoff a worker). The government wants to reduce the amount of severance pay a laid-off or fired employee gets; as of now, it's 45 days(!) pay for every year worked. That's right; if you work for a year and get laid off, you get 9 weeks of severance pay. The government also wants to make it easier for employers to fire a worker for not showing up at his/her job; now, only if a worker misses 20% of the workdays over 2 months - not counting sick leave or vacation days - can the employer start the firing process.
Now, this may not be as bad as France, where the unemployed once went on strike (try to figure that out), but it seems crazy that in a country with 20%+ unemployment, anyone would think it was a good idea to go on strike. Especially over those oppressive conditions. And it seems that the huge majority of Spanish workers agreed.
P.S. There was another rally here in Segovia in support of the General Strike. About 100 people showed up. The funny part is that it was held after the workday so people could support the general strike without, you know, actually going on strike themselves.
Location:Calle de San Frutos,Segovia,Spain
Clara's First Football Day
Clara watched her first football game last weekend. Here she and Craig watch the Patriots trounce somebody.
Clara has now seen more football games in her 2 weeks than I've seen in the last five years.
Clara has now seen more football games in her 2 weeks than I've seen in the last five years.
Segovia
We're in Segovia, which has a wonderful old town. What we like best, though, is that Segovia keeps the Spanish tradition of the paseo - the evening walk - alive. From about 6 p.m. until about 9 or 10, the two main squares and the pedestrian street between them are full of people walking, talking, standing around, seeing, being seen. There are singles, couples, parents and kids, grandparents and grandkids, grandparents and parents and kids, or just friends walking together. I think it's about my favorite thing to do in Spain: just be part of the paseo.
Segovia's casco antiguo - old town - is a perfect place to walk in the past, especially after about 5 o'clock, when all the day-tripping tours from Madrid have left. Many of Spain's towns have worked hard to maintain the feel of their history; not always an easy thing to do when buildings need to be brought up to a livable condition, with electricity and plumbing. Segovia seems to have done that better than most; many of the buildings have been restored with exteriors that reflect old traditions. Here are a couple of recently renovated buildings with traditional exteriors:
That method of putting patterns on the walls is called scraffito; each house has a different pattern. We saw lots of scraffito in Barcelona, but hadn't realized how much of it there is here in Segovia. It cannot be inexpensive to do scraffito; that so many buildings are being restored with it is, I think, wonderful.
And Segovia has an iconic image: a Roman aqueduct, still in perfect condition. Built at the end of the 2nd century, with no cement or mortar, it still stands. When I first came to Segovia, in the late 1970s, the aqueduct still carried water into the old city. Sometime in the 80s, modernization made that unnecessary.
Location:Plaza Mayor,Segovia,Spain
Segovia's casco antiguo - old town - is a perfect place to walk in the past, especially after about 5 o'clock, when all the day-tripping tours from Madrid have left. Many of Spain's towns have worked hard to maintain the feel of their history; not always an easy thing to do when buildings need to be brought up to a livable condition, with electricity and plumbing. Segovia seems to have done that better than most; many of the buildings have been restored with exteriors that reflect old traditions. Here are a couple of recently renovated buildings with traditional exteriors:
That method of putting patterns on the walls is called scraffito; each house has a different pattern. We saw lots of scraffito in Barcelona, but hadn't realized how much of it there is here in Segovia. It cannot be inexpensive to do scraffito; that so many buildings are being restored with it is, I think, wonderful.
And Segovia has an iconic image: a Roman aqueduct, still in perfect condition. Built at the end of the 2nd century, with no cement or mortar, it still stands. When I first came to Segovia, in the late 1970s, the aqueduct still carried water into the old city. Sometime in the 80s, modernization made that unnecessary.
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The paseo, under and around the aqueduct |
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Úbeda-III
Today we wanted to take a day-trip to some small towns in the area. Got to the first one, Sabiote, with no problem except...
Sabiote falls down a hillside and as we went down the hill, the street got narrower and narrower. Here's a picture the tower of Sabiote's old church (built in the 1400's and remodeled recently - in the 1600's. The street you see is the only way to get from the newer part of town to the interesting part. What you see is the street at its widest.
Now, I've gotten relatively comfortable driving down streets so narrow that you have to fold back the mirrors on both sides, but they can still inflict a sense of claustrophobia on me. So although we got down the street, found a parking place and enjoyed walking around a spectacular castle, it was nice to get back on a road more than two yards wide.
We headed for the next town. What I hadn't realized is that the road to that next town was a mountain road, with ups and downs and curves and switchbacks. We soon realized that the drive was going to take hours at our average speed of about 20 mph, so we gave it up.
We did see some beautiful views of miles and miles of olive orchards. There are something like 10 million olive trees in southern Spain, and I think we saw half of them today.
We came back to Úbeda, and about the time we arrived, out came the sun; it had been mostly overcast up til then. So we'll get another stroll here, a dinner of tapas, and tomorrow, on to Segovia.
Sabiote falls down a hillside and as we went down the hill, the street got narrower and narrower. Here's a picture the tower of Sabiote's old church (built in the 1400's and remodeled recently - in the 1600's. The street you see is the only way to get from the newer part of town to the interesting part. What you see is the street at its widest.
Now, I've gotten relatively comfortable driving down streets so narrow that you have to fold back the mirrors on both sides, but they can still inflict a sense of claustrophobia on me. So although we got down the street, found a parking place and enjoyed walking around a spectacular castle, it was nice to get back on a road more than two yards wide.
We headed for the next town. What I hadn't realized is that the road to that next town was a mountain road, with ups and downs and curves and switchbacks. We soon realized that the drive was going to take hours at our average speed of about 20 mph, so we gave it up.
We did see some beautiful views of miles and miles of olive orchards. There are something like 10 million olive trees in southern Spain, and I think we saw half of them today.
We came back to Úbeda, and about the time we arrived, out came the sun; it had been mostly overcast up til then. So we'll get another stroll here, a dinner of tapas, and tomorrow, on to Segovia.
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The patio outside our room here in Úbeda. |
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| The patio in its usual afternoon condition. |
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Úbeda II
Úbeda is an interesting place. For one thing, there's hardly a non-Spanish tourist in sight, which we love. We were able to get out this morning and join the town in the typical and traditional Saturday morning shopping and strolling frenzy. That is really what we like best about traveling, just being part of the country.
Úbeda really has no tourist attractions unless you like architecture, but if you do, it's pretty interesting. In the late 1500's, Úbeda's powerful families provided secretaries to King Carlos I, who was also the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, making him the most powerful person in Europe. Providing those secretaries meant that money and power flowed back to Úbeda and those powerful families competed to build the most beautiful houses and offices and churches. It was the Renaissance, and the families hired architects who had learned their trade with Renaissance architects in Italy. The result is that Úbeda is full of beautiful Renaissance buildings and what many people rate as the most beautiful and best-preserved Renaissance Plaza in all of Europe. Who am I to argue?
Here are a couple pictures of these Renaissance buildings in the middle of Moorish Spain.
The food here isn't bad, either. Here's our favorite tapa, gambas a pil-pil (shrimp in a garlic/chile sauce):
Úbeda really has no tourist attractions unless you like architecture, but if you do, it's pretty interesting. In the late 1500's, Úbeda's powerful families provided secretaries to King Carlos I, who was also the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, making him the most powerful person in Europe. Providing those secretaries meant that money and power flowed back to Úbeda and those powerful families competed to build the most beautiful houses and offices and churches. It was the Renaissance, and the families hired architects who had learned their trade with Renaissance architects in Italy. The result is that Úbeda is full of beautiful Renaissance buildings and what many people rate as the most beautiful and best-preserved Renaissance Plaza in all of Europe. Who am I to argue?
Here are a couple pictures of these Renaissance buildings in the middle of Moorish Spain.
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| Plaza Vázquez de Molino at dawn. Our hotel is the building at the right. |
The food here isn't bad, either. Here's our favorite tapa, gambas a pil-pil (shrimp in a garlic/chile sauce):
Friday, September 24, 2010
Úbeda
One thing Laurie and I have learned over half a dozen trips to Spain is driving is always - and I mean ALWAYS - an adventure. Here's today's adventure, as we left Córdoba...
Four miles outside of Córdoba is the archeological site Medinat al-Zahara. There, a thousand years ago, the Calif (Moorish ruler) built an incredibly beautiful palace complex; now it is being excavated and restored. We visited Medinat when we were here twelve years ago, and wanted to see it again.
Off we went - it's only 4 miles; how bad can this be? Leaving town the route is marked with signs to the site, so we're doing just fine until...we get to a section in which there is a bunch of new roads and roundabouts, coinciding, curiously, with the disappearance of any signs pointing anywhere. Quickly, we are totally lost, without the slightest idea of how to get anywhere except back to Córdoba and we're not very excited about that. Our maps don't show all the new roads, nor does the GPS.
I stopped at a gas station and asked an employee there for directions. She took me out front, pointed down the road and proceeded with her training for the world's fastest Spanish speaker competiton. After three repeats, I thought I had it and off we went. I didn't have it. We turned around, headed back into Córdoba and found the freeway that would take us here to Úbeda.
Medinat al-Zahara has been there for a thousand years; I'm sure it will still be there on our next trip.
Four miles outside of Córdoba is the archeological site Medinat al-Zahara. There, a thousand years ago, the Calif (Moorish ruler) built an incredibly beautiful palace complex; now it is being excavated and restored. We visited Medinat when we were here twelve years ago, and wanted to see it again.
Off we went - it's only 4 miles; how bad can this be? Leaving town the route is marked with signs to the site, so we're doing just fine until...we get to a section in which there is a bunch of new roads and roundabouts, coinciding, curiously, with the disappearance of any signs pointing anywhere. Quickly, we are totally lost, without the slightest idea of how to get anywhere except back to Córdoba and we're not very excited about that. Our maps don't show all the new roads, nor does the GPS.
I stopped at a gas station and asked an employee there for directions. She took me out front, pointed down the road and proceeded with her training for the world's fastest Spanish speaker competiton. After three repeats, I thought I had it and off we went. I didn't have it. We turned around, headed back into Córdoba and found the freeway that would take us here to Úbeda.
Medinat al-Zahara has been there for a thousand years; I'm sure it will still be there on our next trip.
Córdoba II - again
Stupid Internet connection died as I was posting, and one little flaw of the app I'm using to post is that, in that situation, it doesn't realize that the connection has failed, so it says the post was successful and erases it from the iPad. I end up with no post and the draft gone. So I'll try again.
First, though, the important things: here's one of the first pictures we saw of Clara, taken just after she'd arrived at her home in Berlin, 3 days old:
Is she just the most beautiful baby ever? We certainly think so.
Okay, back to more mundane things - travel. We are staying in a 4-star hotel here in Córdoba and I really dislike the place. I believe the difference between an okay hotel and a great one is the little stuff, and this place (NH Hoteles Amistad Córdoba) has missed on a bunch of little things.
The safe in the room is broken. Not a big thing, but the reaction of the hotel was, "It's broken and we can't fix it." No, "Sorry" or anything like that. When I asked at the front desk if they could have it fixed the next day, the response was, "You mean, call a repairman?" I can guarantee that safe is not going to fixed in my lifetime.
You can buy Internet for a bunch of Euros each day at the hotel, or get 30 minutes free. But the first day the free wasn't working and the staff said it was my iPad that was the problem. No, the iPad has worked with every other wireless network it's ever been on, as does my iPhone, which also does not work here. Staff suggestion: pay for a day. Sure, without any idea of whether it works. After two days, I finally get the free wireless here to work. Well, kinda. I have to stand in the lobby and it is so slow that it takes half of my free 30 minutes to download four 250k pictures. Then it dies again.
It's interesting that the lower-priced hotels and hotel chains are, more and more, offering free Internet access and the more expensive places continue to charge for it. The cost to this hotel to provide access is probably less than $100/month, and asking me to pay $15/day when I can get it free at 20 places within a 5-minute walk is just nuts.
The room has a thing to heat water so I can have instant coffee in the morning. Instant freakin' coffee in a 4-star hotel.
Breakfast is 14€ a day ($18), but I have to go find the waiter to get more coffee. At least it isn't instant coffee in the dining room.
Just a bunch of irritants, but taken together makes me long for our hotel (2-star) in Vejer, which was half the price and hit all the little things on the nose.
But this morning we again visited "la Mezquita," - the Grand Mosque - which is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful building in the world. Pictures don't even come close, but here is one:
The Mosque opens at 10 each morning, with a 10 euro entry, but we learned several visits ago that a couple doors open at 8:30 and you can enter for free and ahead of the crowds. For 45 minutes or so, the mosque is quiet and peaceful and you can feel all the people who came here to worship for two thousand years. We have been at that door almost every day we've ever been in Córdoba - probably 10 days in all.
First, though, the important things: here's one of the first pictures we saw of Clara, taken just after she'd arrived at her home in Berlin, 3 days old:
Is she just the most beautiful baby ever? We certainly think so.
Okay, back to more mundane things - travel. We are staying in a 4-star hotel here in Córdoba and I really dislike the place. I believe the difference between an okay hotel and a great one is the little stuff, and this place (NH Hoteles Amistad Córdoba) has missed on a bunch of little things.
The safe in the room is broken. Not a big thing, but the reaction of the hotel was, "It's broken and we can't fix it." No, "Sorry" or anything like that. When I asked at the front desk if they could have it fixed the next day, the response was, "You mean, call a repairman?" I can guarantee that safe is not going to fixed in my lifetime.
You can buy Internet for a bunch of Euros each day at the hotel, or get 30 minutes free. But the first day the free wasn't working and the staff said it was my iPad that was the problem. No, the iPad has worked with every other wireless network it's ever been on, as does my iPhone, which also does not work here. Staff suggestion: pay for a day. Sure, without any idea of whether it works. After two days, I finally get the free wireless here to work. Well, kinda. I have to stand in the lobby and it is so slow that it takes half of my free 30 minutes to download four 250k pictures. Then it dies again.
It's interesting that the lower-priced hotels and hotel chains are, more and more, offering free Internet access and the more expensive places continue to charge for it. The cost to this hotel to provide access is probably less than $100/month, and asking me to pay $15/day when I can get it free at 20 places within a 5-minute walk is just nuts.
The room has a thing to heat water so I can have instant coffee in the morning. Instant freakin' coffee in a 4-star hotel.
Breakfast is 14€ a day ($18), but I have to go find the waiter to get more coffee. At least it isn't instant coffee in the dining room.
Just a bunch of irritants, but taken together makes me long for our hotel (2-star) in Vejer, which was half the price and hit all the little things on the nose.
But this morning we again visited "la Mezquita," - the Grand Mosque - which is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful building in the world. Pictures don't even come close, but here is one:
The Mosque opens at 10 each morning, with a 10 euro entry, but we learned several visits ago that a couple doors open at 8:30 and you can enter for free and ahead of the crowds. For 45 minutes or so, the mosque is quiet and peaceful and you can feel all the people who came here to worship for two thousand years. We have been at that door almost every day we've ever been in Córdoba - probably 10 days in all.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Cordoba...and the big news
About ten minutes after we left Vejer de la Frontera this morning, the phone rang, with a call from Craig. Unfortunately, the phone was at the bottom of Laurie's purse and by the time she'd dug it out, we'd missed it. So we pulled over a couple minutes later and called back. And, of course, it was the news we'd been awaiting: at 5:05 a.m. yesterday (Monday, 9/20) we became grandparents. Annie "dio a la luz" Clara Beth - 8 lbs, 3 ounces, reddish hair, big feet (already takes after her grandfather). Everybody is healthy and Craig was just bubbling. We are, as you can imagine, quite happy.
Then it was on to Cordoba. Now, driving in Cordoba is, like driving in any old city in Europe, an "adventure" (and I use the word adventure advisedly). We knew our hotel here is in the oldest part of a very old city, and we didn't know exactly how to get to it. In fact, we didn't know at all. So we turned on the GPS, which got us close, then told us to turn down what appeared to be a one-way street (of course, the wrong way for us). We ended up threading our way through the narrow streets and out the other side. But from previous stays here (I think this is our fourth stay in Cordoba) I knew the way back to try again, and, surprisingly, the GPS, agreed with me.
Unfortunately, what neither I nor the GPS knew is that the main road back to where I wanted to go is torn up and closed. So we, er, wandered around a bit. But finally I got to where I wanted to be, found a parking place and went looking for the hotel on foot. After a bit of a search I found it and asked how to drive there. The nice lady at the reception desk volunteered a colleague to go with me and drive the car back. I accepted that offer.
So we're settled in Cordoba. Our room is quite nice (we splurged here a bit-quite a bit), and after a little siesta, we're ready for some tapas. Cordoba has great tapas, so we'll have problems there.
And with the first glass of wine will come a toast to Craig, Annie, and Clara Beth.
Then it was on to Cordoba. Now, driving in Cordoba is, like driving in any old city in Europe, an "adventure" (and I use the word adventure advisedly). We knew our hotel here is in the oldest part of a very old city, and we didn't know exactly how to get to it. In fact, we didn't know at all. So we turned on the GPS, which got us close, then told us to turn down what appeared to be a one-way street (of course, the wrong way for us). We ended up threading our way through the narrow streets and out the other side. But from previous stays here (I think this is our fourth stay in Cordoba) I knew the way back to try again, and, surprisingly, the GPS, agreed with me.
Unfortunately, what neither I nor the GPS knew is that the main road back to where I wanted to go is torn up and closed. So we, er, wandered around a bit. But finally I got to where I wanted to be, found a parking place and went looking for the hotel on foot. After a bit of a search I found it and asked how to drive there. The nice lady at the reception desk volunteered a colleague to go with me and drive the car back. I accepted that offer.
So we're settled in Cordoba. Our room is quite nice (we splurged here a bit-quite a bit), and after a little siesta, we're ready for some tapas. Cordoba has great tapas, so we'll have problems there.
And with the first glass of wine will come a toast to Craig, Annie, and Clara Beth.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Stupid computers
There are times...
The WiFi here at the hotel in Vejer is, shall we say, sporadic. Over the last couple days I posted a couple comments which looked as if they went out but, in fact, disappeared somewhere in the ether. I hope that things will be better in Cordoba tomorrow, where we´re staying at a fancier hotel. No email here, either.
The WiFi here at the hotel in Vejer is, shall we say, sporadic. Over the last couple days I posted a couple comments which looked as if they went out but, in fact, disappeared somewhere in the ether. I hope that things will be better in Cordoba tomorrow, where we´re staying at a fancier hotel. No email here, either.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
First day in Vejer de la Frontera
Vejer de la Frontera falls into the category of the famous "pueblos blancos" ("white towns") of Southern Spain. There are fifteen or so pueblos blancos, all built on hilltops - usually with a castle at the very top - all built in the Moorish/north African style with plain facades on the street and beautiful inner courtyards. The houses are all white-washed and have been for a thousand years so they just glow in the bright sunlight.
We were here eight years ago and marveled at the non-existence of tourists; not so much yesterday. The tiny main square was jammed with day-trippers. But as my friend Ken Disbrow notes, the well-beaten path is not very wide; walking 200 yards away brought us to a tapas bar on a quiet street, overlooking a fabulous view. We sat and had a wonderful bunch of tapas and a couple nice cold beers. We felt truly back in the Spain that we love. And by early evening, the tourists were gone back to wherever they go and Vejer reverted back to an almost medieval town.
Our hotel here is wonderful. Built in a dozen old houses combined, each room is unique and quite large. There are many terraces from which one can see panoramic views of the city and countryside; one of the terraces is the bar, so we sat and had a glass of wine (large glasses of a nice Spanish red: $3 each!).
View from the bar terrace at the hotel
After a nice nap (we'd had five hours of sleep in the last 32 hours) we walked the city. We had dinner in a restaurant recommended by the hotel staff. Dinner was two unbelievably good entrantes: a mixture of morcilla sausage, pine nuts and eggs, followed by bacalao (cod) in a salsa. Both were great, but when the bill came we discovered that the bacalao was over $20! Main course: a shrimp and calamari paella - as good paella as we've ever had.
Then we walked to a place nearby that has flamenco every Saturday night, but last night they were showing only a film of flamenco. Now, live flamenco is fantastic, but a movie? No thanks...so it was back to the hotel for one more glass of wine and then to sleep.
A perfect first day back in Spain.
We were here eight years ago and marveled at the non-existence of tourists; not so much yesterday. The tiny main square was jammed with day-trippers. But as my friend Ken Disbrow notes, the well-beaten path is not very wide; walking 200 yards away brought us to a tapas bar on a quiet street, overlooking a fabulous view. We sat and had a wonderful bunch of tapas and a couple nice cold beers. We felt truly back in the Spain that we love. And by early evening, the tourists were gone back to wherever they go and Vejer reverted back to an almost medieval town.
Our hotel here is wonderful. Built in a dozen old houses combined, each room is unique and quite large. There are many terraces from which one can see panoramic views of the city and countryside; one of the terraces is the bar, so we sat and had a glass of wine (large glasses of a nice Spanish red: $3 each!).
View from the bar terrace at the hotel
After a nice nap (we'd had five hours of sleep in the last 32 hours) we walked the city. We had dinner in a restaurant recommended by the hotel staff. Dinner was two unbelievably good entrantes: a mixture of morcilla sausage, pine nuts and eggs, followed by bacalao (cod) in a salsa. Both were great, but when the bill came we discovered that the bacalao was over $20! Main course: a shrimp and calamari paella - as good paella as we've ever had.
Then we walked to a place nearby that has flamenco every Saturday night, but last night they were showing only a film of flamenco. Now, live flamenco is fantastic, but a movie? No thanks...so it was back to the hotel for one more glass of wine and then to sleep.
A perfect first day back in Spain.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Ah, the glamor of international travel...
We're sitting in London Heathrow, waiting for our flight to Malaga. The flight was scheduled to leave at 4:15. It may leave at 7. Turns out that the French air traffic controllers are on a short strike, probably because the government wants to limit them to 2 bottles of wine per shift or increase their workweek to 12 hours or something.
We arrived here at 11:45, so that means we'll have, oh, seven hours in the airport.
Next day now: We're in Vejer de la Frontera now; it's Saturday afternoon. Following up on last night: the flight left at 8:30, we arrived in Malaga at 11:30. We waited for bags until there were no more. Thinking they were lost and cursing BA, we went looking for the lost luggage office; turns out BA doesn't have one. But the woman at the Iberia Airlines office asked if we'd checked the baggage carousel in customs - as non-European residents, we had to go through customs. Ah, sure enough, there they were.
Went to get our rental car - no problem and a little luck: the rental car counter usually closes at midnight but because of another late flight was still open. Then we wandered around the garage to find the car, then wandered around Malaga trying to get to our hotel, which we could see on the other side of the freeway. Finally arrived, it's now 1:30. The guy at the desk checked us in, and when we asked if the bar was open (he was also running the bar) he said no, but he'd sell us a couple beers to take to the room. Yes, that would be a great idea.
2 a.m. - lights out. What a day!
We arrived here at 11:45, so that means we'll have, oh, seven hours in the airport.
Next day now: We're in Vejer de la Frontera now; it's Saturday afternoon. Following up on last night: the flight left at 8:30, we arrived in Malaga at 11:30. We waited for bags until there were no more. Thinking they were lost and cursing BA, we went looking for the lost luggage office; turns out BA doesn't have one. But the woman at the Iberia Airlines office asked if we'd checked the baggage carousel in customs - as non-European residents, we had to go through customs. Ah, sure enough, there they were.
Went to get our rental car - no problem and a little luck: the rental car counter usually closes at midnight but because of another late flight was still open. Then we wandered around the garage to find the car, then wandered around Malaga trying to get to our hotel, which we could see on the other side of the freeway. Finally arrived, it's now 1:30. The guy at the desk checked us in, and when we asked if the bar was open (he was also running the bar) he said no, but he'd sell us a couple beers to take to the room. Yes, that would be a great idea.
2 a.m. - lights out. What a day!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Getting ready
This is not the fun part of traveling. Packing and sorting and deciding and trying to figure out what books to take and what parts of other books to copy or scan. Laurie gets the worst part: packing. Somehow she gets 4 weeks of stuff in two suitcases plus a couple small carry-ons.
And all the while, I've had WAY too much work to do before I can leave. Ugh!
And all the while, I've had WAY too much work to do before I can leave. Ugh!
Location:127th Pl SE,Seattle,United States
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Away...
On Thursday, September 16, we're off for our 2010 Ramble. This one takes us to Spain, Paris and Berlin. And though we will, of course, enjoy Spain, Paris and Berlin, the highlight will be seeing Craig and Annie and Clara in Berlin.
Yes, "Craig and Annie and Clara." Sometime in mid-to-late-September, Craig and Annie will, as the Spanish say, "give to the light" Clara Beth Zumsteg, our first grandchild. Now I know that most of you are thinking, "What? They can't possibly be old enough to have a grandchild," but yes, indeedy, we are going to have one and we are so excited for that to happen!
Our itinerary for this trip is:
Friday, 9/17: arrive in Malaga, Spain
Saturday, 9/18 to Tuesday, 9/21: Vejer de la Frontera
Tuesday, 9/21 to Friday, 9/24: Córdoba
Friday, 9/24 to Monday, 9/27: Úbeda
Monday, 9/27 to Thursday, 9/30: Segovia
Thursday, 9/30 to Wednesday, Oct. 6: Paris
Wednesday, 10/6 to Friday, 10/8 Chartrettes (home of our friends Mary and Gilles)
Friday, 10/8 to Thursday 10/14: Berlin (Oh, is it going to be hard to leave!)
Please, follow along with us.
Yes, "Craig and Annie and Clara." Sometime in mid-to-late-September, Craig and Annie will, as the Spanish say, "give to the light" Clara Beth Zumsteg, our first grandchild. Now I know that most of you are thinking, "What? They can't possibly be old enough to have a grandchild," but yes, indeedy, we are going to have one and we are so excited for that to happen!
Our itinerary for this trip is:
Friday, 9/17: arrive in Malaga, Spain
Saturday, 9/18 to Tuesday, 9/21: Vejer de la Frontera
Tuesday, 9/21 to Friday, 9/24: Córdoba
Friday, 9/24 to Monday, 9/27: Úbeda
Monday, 9/27 to Thursday, 9/30: Segovia
Thursday, 9/30 to Wednesday, Oct. 6: Paris
Wednesday, 10/6 to Friday, 10/8 Chartrettes (home of our friends Mary and Gilles)
Friday, 10/8 to Thursday 10/14: Berlin (Oh, is it going to be hard to leave!)
Please, follow along with us.
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